Chapter 6 - The Digital Paper Trail
The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly from a high-stakes divorce dispute to a criminal murder-conspiracy investigation.
Eleanor immediately picked up her phone, dialing a direct line to Detective Marcus Thorne—a veteran investigator with the Major Crimes division who owed Eleanor a massive personal favor.
“Marcus,” Eleanor said, her voice like steel. “I have a active attempted murder and high-value wire fraud case sitting in my hotel room. I need you and a digital forensics team here in twenty minutes.”
While Eleanor handled the police, I sat across from Chloe.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked her softly. “You could have just run away. You could have cut your losses and blocked his number.”
Chloe looked down at her hands. “Because my sister died four years ago in a car accident caused by a drunk driver, Mrs. Miller. I know what it’s like to lose someone you love in a second. When I saw those internet searches on his computer... I realized he wasn't just a cheating scumbag. He’s a monster. If I stayed silent and something happened to you, I would be his accomplice.”
I reached across the table and placed my hand over hers. “Thank you, Chloe.”
Twenty minutes later, Detective Marcus Thorne arrived with two plainclothes officers.
Thorne was a hardened, gray-haired man with sharp eyes that immediately scanned the documents laid out across the table. For an hour, he reviewed the forged insurance policies, the Delaware shell company filings, the flight itineraries, and Chloe’s sworn statement regarding the internet search history on Daniel’s laptop.
“This is a premeditated murder-for-profit scheme,” Detective Thorne stated, snapping his notepad shut. “He’s got the fake company set up to collect the payout, the flight out of the country booked for two weeks later, and the cabin reserved for this weekend where he planned to execute the 'accident.'”
“Can you arrest him now?” Rachel asked urgently.
Thorne shook his head frustration. “The search history on a shared laptop and a cabin reservation aren't enough for a conviction on attempted murder yet. Any decent defense attorney will claim he was researching a crime novel, or that the searches were done by someone else. We need him on tape admitting to the financial fraud and the plan.”
“How do we get that?” I asked.
Thorne looked at me, his expression grim. “We set a trap. But we need you to play the bait, Sarah.”
“No!” Rachel shouted immediately. “Absolutely not! She’s not going anywhere near that psycho!”
“Listen to me,” Thorne said, turning to Rachel. “Daniel thinks Sarah is currently panicking about his affair. He doesn't know Chloe came to us. He thinks his murder plan is still completely secret. If Sarah calls him today and pretends she wants to talk about a financial settlement before filing for divorce, he will jump at the chance to meet her privately.”
I stood up, walking over to the window looking down at the bustling city streets below.
For seven years, I had been the dutiful, trusting, quiet wife. I had cooked his meals, supported his career, trusted his excuses, and loved him with everything I had. And he had repaid me by building my coffin.
I turned back to Detective Thorne.
“We don't just meet privately,” I said, my voice cold and unwavering. “He’s holding his firm’s annual logistics charity gala tomorrow night at the Grand Marquis Ballroom. He’s been telling everyone for months that he’s receiving an industry award there.”
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Eleanor smiled slowly. “Sarah... what are you thinking?”
“He thinks he’s going to step onto that stage, collect his fake award, impress his former colleagues, and then take me to a cabin on Friday to die,” I said, a dangerous flame igniting in my chest. “I want to give him his big moment. In front of every board member, investor, and police officer in this city.”
